Return of Twinrova
by XxAriadnexX
Summary: She thought she would never have to see their ugly twin faces again. But Nabooru soon found out that Koume and Kotake would come back even from the dead to finish what they had started. So she enlists Link's help to defeat them. Will they succeed? R&R!
1. Greeting

An Ominous Greeting

-Link's POV-

Link wiped away the sweat that formed on his brow. The Afternoon sun felt like a cauldron. He looked down at Epona's neck,

watching her muscles tightening and relaxing rythmically as she faithfully trotted toward the Spirit Temple. He was on his way to

help Nabooru; who had sent an urgent message to him, asking him to come help her. She hadn't been very specific, and didn't tell

what was wrong. This peeved Link, but he decided to help anyway. After all, you can't just ignore someone in trouble. Plus, being

in trouble wouldn't leave time for details. Dropping everything he was doing for this rescue was difficult, though. It had been two years

since Link had defeated Ganondorf, and Zelda had become queen. Link was now Captain of The Guard, and still had to be the Hero

of Time as well. He was usually very busy. But currently, all Link thought about was getting out of the heat. He knew Epona wanted

and needed to as well. She was breathing heavily and radiating heat. Link unbuttoned his tunic just enough to cool down. Thankfully,

the pair arrived just when Link thought they would die of heat stroke. Nabooru ran out to meet him. Link's jaw fell. _Why was Nabooru_

_running out to meet him if she is in some kind of trouble?_ But when he saw her face, he knew everything wasn't peachy-keen. She seemed

very relieved to see him. Link half expected to hear her gush out everything that was going on, but Nabooru didn't explain. "Good, your here.

We need to get going." Nabooru said, gesturing to the Spirit Temple. "Where does Epona go?" Link asked. He assumed Nabooru would

explain later. Nabooru merely glanced at the horse and told him to bring her inside. Link slid off of Epona and led her inside behind Nabooru.

When they entered, Link looked at everything. It brought back so many memories from when he first came here, and met Nabooru, and then saved her

from two hags named Koume and Kotake seven years later. Nothing looked different as he walked along the passageways. But Link sensed

something...wrong. Nabooru was quiet until she led him into a room that had some plates of food and glasses of water. "You must be thirsty and

hungry from your journey. Please eat and drink. Don't worry about your fine mare, I will take her to a stable we have. It's brand-new, and

very reliable." Link looked at his mare. "Thanks, but I will go with you. I want to be with her." He said. (In all honesty, Link didn't want to be all alone

in the temple. Navi, his former guardian fairy, had helped him along the last time he'd been here.) Nabooru shrugged and started leading the horse

down the hall. Link picked up a glass and a plate, and hurried after her. She was so unpredictable, Link didn't know what to do. Usually, Nabooru

was confident, wise, and expressed her thoughts. Maybe the problem was bigger than he thought.

-Nabooru's POV-

Nabooru paced silently on the stairs. _What was taking so long? Why wasn't Link here already? _"Maybe he was busy and couldn't

come right away, or maybe he had a battle recently and couldn't come because of his wounds, or maybe he didn't believe her message." She worried.

It wasn't like Nabooru couldn't take care of herself, but she needed help on this issue. Ever since Koume and Kotake's ghosts had been brainwashing her

people's minds, she had fled to the Spirit Temple, escaping the witches and protecting the temple from evil. Seeing she needed help, she used her powers to

contact Link. To bide her time, Nabooru went outside the temple. Being a Gerudo, she was used to the heat and waited an hour, looking into the distant sand dunes.

When she spotted Link, she ran out to meet him. He was on his horse, Epona. His shirt was unbuttoned, and he was sweating buckets. Poor boy. Even though she wanted

to lay all the problems on his shoulders right away, she held her head. She noticed that the horse was very dehydrated. She also saw that Link was much more strong and

manly since the last time she'd seen him. She led him inside, watching mixed emotions cross his face as he recognized each room. Nabooru felt that now was not a good time to

tell him. Then she took him to the room where she'd kept some food and water for him. She knew he needed to rest a bit. Even though she hadn't asked if he wanted to help, Link

said he wanted to join her as Nabooru took Epona to the just-built stable. Nabooru had improved the temple with her powers, to make the place more like home to her.

He probably didn't want to be alone. Nabooru understood. So she just kept walking. Link, gullible, funny, Link, had picked up his plate and cup to take with him. As they walked

along, she kept seeing Link glancing over. She knew he wanted to know, but she wanted an opportune time. So she walked, and so did Link. Him with a heavy plate and cup,

her with a heavy heart and mind.

-Link's POV-

Link could barely restrain the question. _Why was Nabooru in danger? And why wouldn't she tell him why? _Finally, he couldn't hold it in any

longer. "Why are you in trouble?" he blurted. Nabooru jumped, probably because he broke the quiet and stillness up to that point. She sighed.

"I am not directly in danger, as you can see. But my people, the temple, basically everyone is in trouble because Koume and Kotake's ghosts

are brainwashing people to be evil. You remember when they brainwashed me, right? I was a monster, and I could've helped Ganondorf win if you didn't

defeat me. They have been wreaking havoc on Gerudo Valley and the Fortress for a few days now. Now do you see?" Nabooru's face reflected anger

and resentment. Link was confused. Sure, the witches did say they would haunt him, but he didn't understand. How could they come back-the two

old ladies were dead. Link had killed them himself. "I don't get it. If I killed Ganondorf and them, why would they have the power to create ghosts to

come back and haunt people? " He said. Nabooru's face got very angry. "The old hags had strange, old powers even I as a sage could not understand.

They can do things such as this. That is why I must stay here and train in the ways of magic. I must defend the Spirit Temple at all costs."

Link really was freaked out now. Magic wasn't his arena. "I don't know how to help you." He confessed. Nabooru's nostrils flared, and her eyes glowed like

fire. "Yes, well, we will find a way. Those two will haunt and torture anyone who lives with a pure and kind soul. Even me, who has great powers, cannot

stop them alone!" Nabooru whipped out two, curved swords, the kind the Gerudos use. Link had dealt with these before from guards at the Gerudo Fortress.

He did not like them. She slashed at the nearest suit of armor, crushing and toppling the heavy outfit. Link felt bad for the empty suit, it didn't deserve that.

But mostly, he felt bad for Nabooru. Calmly and gently, he put her swords down; he didn't want to be the next to feel her wrath. She was still very much upset,

but she relaxed. "I'm sorry Link. I'm very distressed about the matter. You are not mad at me, right?" "What? Me, mad? No, I understand...sort of. But

I don't think the suit needed that." He said. Nabooru smiled a little. "You never do anything wrong do you Hero of Time? We have a very hard and challenging journey

ahead of us. Are you ready?" Link smiled. He'd been waiting for a challenge a while now. "Are you kidding? I was born ready. Let's go tell the old grannies what

the younger generation think about supernatural old timers." The adventure had just begun.

_The End_


	2. Argument

Link's POV

Link sat cross-legged on the stable floor. He and Nabooru were sitting in the stable to keep Epona and Phantom (Nabooru's horse)

company. It was after dusk, and the candles were casting strange shadows on the wall. In the candle light, Nabooru looked

attractive. Her copper-toned skin almost glowed, and her fiery hair went well with flames. He hoped he looked as good in the light as

she did. But he was thankful it was Nabooru sitting here, not some other girl. Ever since he'd saved the world and was appointed to Captain

of the Guard, women all over were dying for his attention. Some fainted when they saw him, others flirted. He wasn't into that. It made him wish

he could turn into a rat and run away. He did have a few friends who treated him like a friend, and was thankful for them. Malon was awesome;

she could make him feel completely comfortable and at peace. Especially when they would ride on their horses together around the ranch. Zelda

was a lot of fun when she wasn't surrounded by suitors too. In that way, she had the same problem, so they could understand each others' pain.

Link had thought about marrying her...but she was a queen. She was also always busy...and had a lot of pressure. He wasn't sure he wanted

to be king. But she could turn into Sheik if necessary, so that was okay. Saria was like his best friend. She could understand anything he was trying to say.

But she was a sage, and was usually helping the Kokiri with problems. Ruto...well, she still thought of him as her fiance, but still was pretty fun to be with.

Sometimes she would freak him out, but not too badly. Impa took upon herself to teach him close combat and quick reflexes, so she always was ready to challenge him to a duel.

And sometimes, she would help him with his girl troubles if he had any. She was like his 'mother figure'. But when it came to Nabooru, she had never really stayed in touch.

That's why it was surprising to him when she asked for help. Even here, in the stable, she wasn't really talking to him. Her concentration was in a spell book she had found.

Even though he had just arrived this morning, Nabooru had already set to work on trying to figure out a way to defeat Koume and Kotake. That was okay, he supposed. But

he didn't know how he was supposed to help her. Epona was neighed softly, she wanted his attention. Link guessed that Phantom wasn't really be social at the moment,

and Epona didn't like it. That was how he felt too. Nabooru didn't feel like socializing, and he didn't like it.

Nabooru's POV

Nabooru was completely focused on the spell book she had found in one of the shelves of the 'magic room'. She was looking for a way to stop the witches,

or at least undo their spell on her people. Nothing else was important at the moment. She was running out of time, and Koume and Kotake were getting more and

more powerful by the minute. Despair filled her being as she flipped through the pages. So far, she had found nothing of use. And Link wasn't offering any suggestions,

he was too busy playing with his horse. She wished there was another suit of armor nearby so she could slice it. Even though she was stressed, she tried to hide it.

Phantom snorted and she looked up. Phantom was black as midnight, and his mane and tail were sort-of a silvery grey color. In the night-time, he really did look

like a phantom. There was a long history between her horse and she. It hadn't been easy to obtain him. Actually, Ganondorf had wanted him at first. His first horse had

died of exhaustion, and Phantom was second best. But Nabooru had seen the way Ganondorf had treated his last mare, and didn't want Phantom to have the same fate.

So, because she knew Ganondorf loved her, she asked for Phantom. Ganondorf was drunk when she had asked, and signed the paper Nabooru had produced. But when

he was sober again, he was mad at her for deceiving him. A long struggle followed concerning who was going to get Phantom. But Nabooru had won by using her wits and

beauty. She got up and hugged the stallion. He neighed happily. She went and sat back down after a few minutes, and watched Link as he brushed Epona. In the dim light,

he looked amazing. The shadow behind him was stocky, tall, and attractive. _How could he not have a wife? _He was probably the most popular and good-looking guy in all

of Hyrule. The question and silence was nagging her, and soon she couldn't bear it. "Why aren't you married Link?" She asked. Link's face showed shock, but no other emotion

was present. "Why do you ask that?" He responded after a few minutes. "Because...I'm sure you want to settle down sometime." Nabooru didn't tell him her real answer.

She didn't want to tell him that he was handsome. She didn't want to scare him. He sighed a very long sigh. She guessed that this was not a new thing.

"Yes, it would be nice...I guess. But why must you ask? You ask me personal things so suddenly. I never know what to think. Not to mention, you have been ignoring

me this entire time." His response shocked her. _She was unpredictable? She was ignoring him?_ Her response was quick to come. "I'm _ignoring_ you? Are you offended

by my attempts to figure out how to solve the problem at hand? That's immature...almost hard to believe your the 'Hero Of Time'!" Link looked hurt. But then his face changed

to anger. "Well, if your so clever and if you can do this by yourself, I'll just let you! You didn't tell me how to help, and so I waited for you to tell me. And as for why I'm not

married...maybe it's because women, no, _females_ in general aren't worth it! I'm getting out of here...you can figure this out yourself." He started to put his saddle on Epona.

Nabooru was angry. Men were so stubborn. But she knew she needed him, or the witches would control everyone everywhere. "Link! Don't go...I'm sorry. I don't mean what

I said. Your not immature, and I need you to help me. I can't do this alone. Please don't leave." He stopped saddling Epona. "I forgive you..and your not so bad yourself.

Sure, your mysterious and unpredictable, but your strong in spirit and physique. I won't go." Nabooru was relieved, but also very tired. "I'm going to bed. I'm sure we'll find something out tomorrow.

Good-night Link." "Good-night Nabooru." He said back. She picked up the spell book and went to her bedchamber.

Link's POV

Link was still kind-of annoyed with Nabooru for asking him personal questions. He was also still miffed because she had called him immature. But he guessed that what he had

said wasn't exactly nice either. Women, especially Nabooru, were hard to understand. He wished Navi was here. Or even maybe Impa. But it was late and he needed to get

some sleep, so he headed off to one of the many bedrooms in the temple. Once he found one, he took off all of his weapons and laid them on the floor.

He took off his boots, shirt, and cap, and got into bed.

He replayed their fight in his mind. It took him a while to fall asleep. When he finally fell asleep, his dream was about Koume and Kotake. They were a pale white, and were

saying the same spell over and over. All the people within ear-shot were brainwashed, and it seemed that the more people brainwashed, the stronger the witches became.

Link and Nabooru needed to stop them. And soon.


	3. Surprise

**Okay, this was a long chapter. Hopefully, Nabooru will be able to get some helpful info from Aria in the next. Please review, or Nabooru will be using her swords on you! ;) (Just kidding.) See you in the next chapter! -XxAriadnexX **

Nabooru's POV

Nabooru moved constantly in her sleep. Her dreams were scaring her, and it made her break out in cold sweat. She shivered, and woke up. The Spirit Temple was very quiet, and only her heavy breathing could be heard. The dream that had scared her was about Koume and Kotake. They had been laughing and mocking her. They said that she and Link would never beat them; that their conquest was hopeless. That Ganondorf would break free from his seal, thanks to the evil their minions were producing. They also told her that her magic abilites were weak, and that she had no chance. Nabooru almost believed them. What chance did Link and her have against two powerful hags? She thought back to the argument she and Link had had the evening before. They couldn't even work together, let alone find a solution for this problem.

Nabooru got out of bed. She was wearing the traditional Gerudo sleeping-wear: a loose, airy night dress with a veil if she needed to cover her face. She decided to go for a walk since she was too disturbed to sleep. She walked out of her room and down the hall. Her footsteps made no sound; since she was barefoot. The darkness made it hard to see things that were potentially in the way. Nabooru chided herself for not getting a candle. But since she knew the temple basically by heart, she made her way to the 'magic room'. It wasn't really magical, it was only the library where all the spell books were kept. Nabooru thought it was boring to just call it the library, so she named it the 'magic room' instead. Of course, she would never tell Link that she called it that. It would ruin her hard-earned reputation of leadership, skill, slyness, spirit, and just plain hard to get approval from. She entered the library, and saw a light at the end of the room. A candle was burning. Link was crouched over a book, murmering something to himself. He had no shirt on, and was barefoot, like her. Instead of asking him what he was doing, she quietly walked into some shadows to watch him. He yawned, and stretched. "Curse those witches...I beat them once already. I don't want to again. I'm tired of this constant fighting...I wish I could hide in a temple like Nabooru does. At least I can tell her I did try to help at least." He whispered. He closed the book, and got up.

Nabooru was trying to decide if she should talk to him, or just go back to bed after he left. She decided to go with the first option, and stepped out of the shadows. "Hey. Having trouble sleeping?" She said. Link jumped. He looked at her. "Ya, nightmares. Mostly about Koume and Kotake. I was trying to find soomething that could help us." Nabooru nodded. "What did you find?" Link's shoulders drooped. "Nothing. I'm starting to think I should just beat them the way I did the first time." He confessed. "It's okay. At least Koume and Kotake told me their plan in my dream." Nabooru tried to encourage him. "Really? What'd you learn?" He was excited. "Well, I think that they are brainwashing people so that the people become evil. The possessed minions then do evil things, wreaking havoc everywhere. If they do enough damage, they could break Ganondorf's seal. Then he would come back, and possibly bring Koume and Kotake back to life. That and that he would try to take over the world again. It's a win/win plan for them: evil is everywhere, Ganondorf is back, and they come back to the living. Do you see?" Nabooru explained. Link nodded. "This is more elaborate than I thought."

He said solemnly. Nabooru smiled. He was cute when he was serious. "Okay, so we understand the purpose, now we have to find a way to beat them silly." He said jokingly. Nabooru smiled even though she was exhausted and happy that they had improved at the same time. Okay, well I'm glad we figured that out. I'm going back to bed." She said. "Let's hope that the witches drop some info on how to beat them as well." Link said, smiling. Nabooru shook her head. This boy was ridiculous. "I'll walk you to your room, since you don't have a candle." Link offered. Nabooru was too tired to reist, so she agreed. Link picked up the candle, and they walked down the halls of the Spirit Temple together. A small sigh escaped her lips. _Finally. We found out something. If only we could just beat these two worthless, ugly, crabby old ladies..._She thought. Link was quiet, as though he were pondering something. _Or he could just be tired..._She didn't know. She wondered if he was surprised that she was wearing a nightdress. He probably was. When they reached her room, he smiled. "I'm glad we finally found something. Don't stress too much, we'll figure it out. Good night, Nabooru." "Good night Link." She said. She watched Link walk down the hall. The candle made his shadow large and almost scary. Or it could've just been her tired mind thinking that it was. Jumping back into bed, she fell asleep instantly. Thankfully, she had no nightmares this time.

Link's POV

Link couldn't sleep. Not when his dream made him see Koume and Kotake turning people evil, and especially since he had no power to stop them. He lay on his bed, thinking. He decided that a little stroll would ease himself. Lighting a candle, he walked all around the Spirit Temple. He saw the statue of the Gerudos' goddess, he saw the rooms that monster had once infested, he even walked past Nabooru's room. He did feel bad that he wasn't helping her out with this problem. It wasn't fair to her to have to do everything by herself. He was sure she could handle it if necessary, but it wasn't right to just rely on her skill and ability. He was the 'Hero of Time' for crying out loud. Link walked into an unfamilier room. Books lined the shelves; a library. He didn't know there was library here. Setting the candle down, he read the spines of the books. "The Book of Invisibility, The Book of Channeling Your Inner Magic, The Spells of Turning Beautiful..." Link didn't know what a book teaching you spells to become beautiful was doing here, but kept reading. "The Secrets of Light-Channeling, The Book of Fire Abilities, The Book of Returning the Deceased To the Living.." Link stopped. He pulled out the "Returning the Deceased" book. He flipped through the pages. _If only I could find something... _He thought. After searching the entire thing, and finding nothing that applied to the situation at hand, he closed the book and put it back. He picked up his candle and was just about to leave the room when Nabooru spoke. "Hey. Having trouble sleeping?" She asked.

It scared him that she just appeared out of the dark. _How long had she been there? _He told her about his dream...it seemed only fair that she should know. When she asked about his progress, he had to tell her that he had found nothing. Nabooru told him about her dream...and when she said something about the witches telling her their plan..he got excited. The witches weren't all too smart. He remembered the time when he'd beaten them, and they argued over how old they were. The plan Nabooru told him actually surprised him. Koume and Kotake actually could work up an evil scheme all by themselves. Trying to lighten the serious mood, he joked around at Nabooru's expense. After all of the talking, Nabooru seemed very droopy and looked like she was going to fall over. He could see that she was trying to be strong before him even though she was exhausted. A twinge of sympathy Link felt for her. So he offered to walk to her room, since she had no candle. But he had another reason too: if she fell over on the way to her room, he wanted to be there to pick her up or avoid the fall alltogether. Sure, Nabooru had treated him pretty poorly before, but he at least owed her some gentlemanly respect. While they walked, he thought about a way to beat the twin hags. If Koume had the power of fire, and Kotake had the power of ice, maybe they had to be beaten by fire and ice. It had worked that way before. Only, they were alive then. _How do you kill a monster that's already dead? _Link wracked his brain for the enemies he had beaten in the past. Redeads were the living dead. They were nightmares of all. But once Link killed it, the Redead would stay dead. It wouldn't come back and hypnotise people to be evil. His fatigue soon overwhelmed him, and after he walked Nabooru to her room, he hurried to his own room. It didn't take him long to get to sleep.

Link's POV

The next morning, Link woke to the sound of metal against metal. The grinding sound of swords sliding, the yelling and screaming of those fighting; it was bone-chilling. He got up quickly and put on his shirt/tunic. He gathered his weapons, and ran down the halls, trying to locate where the noise was coming from. When he finally reached the entrance of the Spirit Temple, he saw Nabooru locked in combat with a female gerudo guard. Nabooru's curved swords were dangerously sharp, and her anger was evident. The guard's face was veiled, and she was a good fighter. She kept advancing and pushing Nabooru towards any corner. But Nabooru was quicker and dodged the blows, giving time for her to get an opening. Link wondered if Nabooru would try that double-blade spin that the gerudos do. Many times, the female guards at the Gerudo Fortress would try that signature trick. If Link had gotten hit by the spin, he would crumple to the floor in pain. In order to avoid it, he had to be out of the reach of the attacker. Link could see that this enemy was going to do it, and he wondered if Nabooru knew that. The guard twisted, spinning wickedly and flashing her swords at Nabooru. Nabooru was trying to block it, but he could see it wasn't going to work. He stepped into the fray. He pulled out his sword and shield, and stabbed downward at the guard. She howled in pain, and crumpled. Her breathing was heavy. He was gonna stab her again, but he waited.

Nabooru smiled evily. "Now I can finish her." She said, and raised her swords in a death blow. Link had an idea, and stopped her. "Wait! Don't kill her!" He stood in between Nabooru and the guard. Nabooru was angry. "Link, do not stop me. I have business to settle." She advanced to prove her point. He pushed her back with his shield. Her strength was no match for his. He crouched before the guard and looked at her face. Anger and resentment and payback was all her expression revealed. Link looked at her brow. A red jewel rested on her forhead. Link smiled, and broke the jewel by smashing it with the hilt of his sword. He then knocked the guard out with a blow from his fist. Nabooru yelled. "Link! What are you doing? I was going to take care of that back-stabbing guard of mine! Why did you step in?" Link cringed. She was really mad. "Look, Nabooru, I had to. She was going to hurt you. Besides, that jewel I smashed, it was the thing that Koume and Kotake used to brainwash her. I just freed her from their control. If you kill her, we might lose valuable info on how to beat the witches. I want to try to heal her back to health." He explained. The silence that followed was tense. Link could see that Nabooru was

trying to decide if she should yell at him or praise him for his discovery. He decided to explain more. "Nabooru, I understand that your mad. But when I saw her and the jewel, I had to do it. When you were brainwashed I did the same thing: I destroyed the jewel. Then you returned to your normal self. Just don't kill her. She may be the key to ending all of this mess." He said quietly. Nabooru sighed. "Fine. But your taking care of her and that wound. I'll go make some breakfast. What do you want?" Link smiled. "It doesn't matter, whatever. Thank you for understanding." Nabooru nodded and sheathed her swords. She gave one last evil look at the guard, and left. Link laughed to himself. Nabooru's pride wasn't to be hurt. He looked down at the guard that was bleeding on the floor. _What secrets can she share? _He tore away the veil from her face. She was a pretty enough girl, but not his type. He used the veil to bind the wound in her leg. He then took one of his red potions and forced the liquid into her mouth. Her wound improved, and soon her eyes opened. Confusion was all over her expression. "Where am I?" She asked Link. This surprised Link. He thought she would remember the stuff that had happened while she was brainwashed. "In the Spirit Temple. I'm Link, and I'm here to help. What's your name?" He said. "You are Link? Oh good..I'm Aria. I just fought my leader, Nabooru, didn't I? I cannot feel anything but shame. She is my mistress, and I tried to kill her. Did you step in to help her?" Aria asked. Link nodded. "I am sorry if I hurt you horribly. I was doing what I had to. You did not mean to hurt Nabooru, you were brainwashed. By Koume and Kotake." Aria nodded. "Ah, yes, I remember now. All of us guards were running from the fortress. We knew we had no other choice. Nabooru had ordered us to run and try to make it to the Spirit Temple. I think she was the only one who did. The witches weren't doing anything deadly, they were just saying a spell over and over. I saw guards all around me, even ones I knew, change and become scary and evil creatures only Ganondorf could dish up." "Do you remember anything while you were brainwashed?" Link asked.

Aria shook her head. "It's fuzzy. Maybe I'll remember in a while. Do you mind giving me a little time?" "Sure. I'll leave for a little bit. If you need anything, let me know." Link said and he walked to the kitchen where Nabooru was cooking. Nabooru looked up when he walked in. "Why are you here?" She asked. "I brought our friend Aria back from unconsciousness, and her wound is healed. She doesn't remember anything from when she was brainwashed, other than fighting you. She feels horribly because of it. She was one of your guards, and said that you were the only one who escaped from the fortress without being brainwashed." Nabooru frowned. "Really, I'm the only one? That is embarassing that _none_ of my guards could escape but me. Unbelievable. Aria sounds familier, I think I remember her." She said as she used a fire spell to cook some bacon. Link shrugged. "That's what I found out. I think you should talk to her. Maybe you can learn something I can't." Nabooru nodded. "I'll try..now that she's not trying to kill me. But she couldn't have anyway. Good work, Link. I think we're getting close to solving this issue." She said as she handed Link some bacon on a plate. "Now, go appease your appetite. I'm going to have a little talk with this Aria." Nabooru got another plate of bacon for Aria and left the kitchen. Link hoped that nothing would go wrong.


	4. Advice from a Goddess

**I don't own the Legend of Zelda. (Sadly) But I do own this story, and I know Nabooru would not be a happy girl if you didn't leave a review. So, please review!**

Nabooru's POV

Now, seeing how this 'Aria' girl had just tried to kill her not five minutes ago, you can understand why Nabooru was a little distrustful of her. As Nabooru walked into the room where Aria was with a plate of bacon, she couldn't help wishing she could unsheath her blades and just finish her enemy off. But she restrained the feeling because she knew Link had been right. Maybe Aria _could_ help them. Ah, yes, Link. He had gotten between their fight and stopped it. He was the one who protected Aria. And he had even pushed Nabooru back as if he was the leader! The thought made Nabooru angry. She put the plate down before Aria. "Something I put together. I thought you'd like some food...you must be starved." Aria teared up. "My mistress, Captain Nabooru. I am so sorry. I have failed you. I have failed your direct orders, and have tried to kill you. Now you are serving me. No, you must eat. I am at fault. Please, if there is anything I can do to make it up to you...just order me." "The only thing you should be doing right now is eating, so do it. I don't make food to have people just ignore it." She said hotly. "Yes, Captain Nabooru." Aria said quickly, and picked up a piece of bacon. And as Nabooru walked back into the kitchen, she thought she heard a small, "Thankyou." _Well that was nice...I'm finally respected around here._ Link was wiping bacon crumbs off of his face when she walked in. His plate was empty. No surprise there. "Are you still hungry?" She asked bluntly. Link blushed, and nodded. Nabooru got another plate for him and sat down at the table. He did the same, and started digging in. "So," He said between mouthfuls. "Did you find anything out?" Nabooru looked at Link. Link, with his face stuffed with food, his mouth dirty, his blond hair falling in his face, his electrifying blue eyes boring into her, made her smile. But she hid the smile and stayed in her angry and sullen expression. "No, not yet. I need to calm down first, otherwise I'll lose my cool. At least, though, Aria knows how to respect me." She said pointedly.

Link stopped eating. "Look, if this is about me interrupting your fight and then pushing you back, I'm sorry. You would've died if it weren't for me. Swallow your pride and look at the big picture. The world is at stake, and we are the only ones who can help. We need Aria, and she wants to help. Geez, Nabooru, you confuse me. Just two minuts ago you were praising me for my find. Now you're mad at me." He said helplessly. "Okay, well, let me tell you what happened before you rushed in to save my life. I was sleeping, like you, and woke up because I heard a crash. It was coming from the entrance of the temple. So I got up and went there. I found Aria, who was destroying temple objects. She saw me, and we started fighting. We fought for hours. I'm surprised you didn't wake up." She said. Link shrugged. "I don't know why I slept through that. I guess I was really tired." "Okay, well, let me just get this straight. You _didn't _save my life...I was doing just fine." Nabooru said indignantly. "Okay, have it your way. But what I want to know is what you meant when you said Aria was destroying temple objects. Why was she doing that? And what was she destroying?" Link asked. That caught Nabooru off-guard. She had expected him to give some lame retort and keep arguing with her. But he did what she least expected. He asked questions about Aria's activities. "I don't know why you are asking this. It was just whatever she could find. Jars, vases, statues, other things. Why would it matter? Destruction is destruction." She answered cluelessly. "Oh. Okay, so no specific thing in mind she wanted to destroy? Did she say anything about destroying something?" He asked further. Nabooru couldn't believe this. Was Aria that important?

"No, not that I heard. In case it slipped your mind, she was trying to destroy _me_ after she noticed I was there. So, I don't think she would slip anything. Why is it so important?" Link shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought I had a lead there. Guess not." He looked at his empty plate. He looked back up. Nabooru got up and put more bacon on his plate. He smiled but didn't eat. "You gonna go talk to her now?" He asked. Nabooru sighed. "I guess I am now. Looks like you don't appreciate my existance." "Nabooru, you know I didn't mean it that way. Just be nice to her okay?" He pleaded. Nabooru decided not to answer. She walked back to where Aria was. Aria was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her plate was empty. She looked up when Nabooru came in. "Oh, Captain Nabooru. Thankyou for the food. I am not worthy to expect anything from you."

Normally, Nabooru would've expected this treatment..seeing how she was the best thief, captain, and sage. But the respect from Aria felt strange. Guess she was spending too much time in the temple alone. She hoped that everything she said to Aria would seem dignified. "Your welcome. You were starving..I could tell. But there are a few things I would like to know from you. Such as, telling me what happened the day when Koume and Kotake attacked, and when I left for the temple. I want to know the names of those you saw brainwashed." Aria sat up straight. "Why yes, Captain Nabooru. Nara, Aveir, Gria, and several others. I couldn't keep track of all them. I am sorry if I failed you." Nabooru was yet again embarassed by her understudies' failures. Aveir, Nara, and Gria were some of her most trusted assistants. But there was one more to complete the quartet who kept intruders out of the fortress. That was Jayla. She was almost as revered as Nabooru. When Nabooru went to the Spirit Temple to pray to their goddess, Jayla was Nabooru's second-in-command. "What about Jayla..what about her?" Aria frowned. "I think she also got brainwashed. I'm not sure." Nabooru was worried and dissapointed. But she went back to trying to find out what Link needed to know. "Aria, I need to know anything you can remember from when you were brainwashed. It may help me defeat the witches." She said. Aria frowned. "I can't really remember anything though. The only thing I remember is that I fought you. But that was this morning. I am so sorry." Nabooru sighed. "Well, if you can't tell me anything, I might as well take you to one of the rooms here." Aria stood up. "Thank you Captain Nabooru, but I will spare you the job of escorting me. A thief and sage like you must not be forced to limit their talents for me." Aria saluted. "Do I have leave to go?" Nabooru nodded. "You do." Aria bowed, and walked down one of the many confusing halls of the Spirit Temple. _Well, that helped me out a lot. _Nabooru thought sarcasticly. She was starting to feel the same way Link did: just beat these hags and get it over and done with. She sat down on the floor. _Maybe I should pray to our patron. She will bless me with an answer. _Nabooru got up, and headed to the great statue of the gerudo's goddess. When she reached the vast room, she looked up at the statue. The statue sat Indian-style, with palms out-stretched. Treasure chests, that were empty, sat on her palms. A little platform lay before the statue: a place to pray.

Nabooru kneeled on the platform. She closed her eyes. Then she opened them. _What am I exactly praying for? _The question had never come up before. Nabooru had always known just what to pray for. She closed her lids again. Meditatively, she said what was on her mind. "Oh, goddess of spirit and wisdom. I, your humble servant, Nabooru, come to seek your aid." She mentally spoke. "**I accept your request. What do you need assistance for, my child?"**Was the statue's response in Nabooru's mind. "I need assistance in defeating former servants of yours. The witches-Koume and Kotake, they have risen from their slumber of death and return to cast evil in the land. I have asked for the Hero of Time, but he does not know how to defeat them either. Will you guide me?" Nabooru asked furvently."**Yes, I have felt the disturbance of evil here in this temple. Koume and Kotake are powerful beings. They have studied the ways of magic and potions well. You my child, are no match for them. You must join alliance with the Hero of Time, and defeat them by your spirit and will. Use trickery and force to defeat them." **"But how? How do I trick them? And how do I use force?" "**Nabooru, you are a Gerudo. A child of a band of thieves. Trickery is what you are best at. Leave the force to the hero with whom you partner. I cannot explain further. It is your path to find out what you must do. " **"Yes, my lady." Nabooru said dejectedly. **"Do not give up. But I sense that this was not all you wanted to request. What is it you truly wished to ask?" **Nabooru sighed physically, not mentally. "You see through me so well, my lady. I am not to lie to my patron. I have been feeling unsure of my leadership skills and prestige. Jayla is better suited to be captain, not me." In Nabooru's mind, she could hear the goddess laughing. **"Oh, child. Do not doubt. You are a sage. A hero. Do not make me regret my decision of placement for you. You will figure it out. But as of now, I must depart. Many wishes for you Nabooru." **Nabooru protested, but the goddess would not respond. She opened her eyes, and stood. The torches on either side of the platform sparked with fire. She thought for a moment. _Okay, so we know the purpose of the brainwashing, who needs to stop Koume and Kotake, and with what. All we need to know now is...how to defeat them._ The outlook of things was certainly looking better. Nabooru hurried to go tell Link what she found out. _

**Hey, Ariadne here. Just reminding you to review. I don't know what I'm doing wrong if nobody tells me! :p**


	5. Battle Plan

**Hey guys, it's chapter 5! But before you read, I want to thank my reviewers. JDuff: Thank you soo much! I'm glad you liked it! Gregory: Thanks for your review. However, Aria and Gria aren't pronounced the same way. Aria is pronounced R-YEE-AH while Gria is pronounced GA-REE-YAH. It's okay though, I can see how you thought that. Insane Certifiably: A big thanks to you. I tried to work on the paragraphs and dialogue this time. Hope you all enjoy! -XxAriadnexX**

Nabooru's POV

"How do we trick them?" Was all Link said after Nabooru told him about her little conversation with the goddess. Honestly, Nabooru had thought that he would be at least a little surprised, or maybe even admiring, that she talked to a goddess. But no, Link continued to suprise her. He was practicing with all of his weapons in the main entrance area of the temple when Nabooru had found him. While she had told her story, he had hit all ten practice jars with his bow and arrows. She had figured that he wasn't really paying attention when she talked, but apparantly, he had been. She was so suprised, that she could only muster a: "Huh?"

Link, being patient, responded again. "How do we trick them? I assume you have a battle plan."

His gaze hadn't left his bow and arrow. Nabooru regained her composure. "Uh, yes. While I was walking through the temple looking for you after I spoke to the goddess, I figured out a plan."

Link waited. "Yes?"

"I think we should use something to bait them here, then trick them into returning to their graves or wherever they came from."

"Okay, sounds good. What do we use as bait?"

"I'm not sure. Would you like to offer yourself to a pair of centuries-old witches?" Nabooru smiled teasingly.

Link looked up with a glare. "Funny, real funny Nabooru. What about you?"

"I can't, I have to trick them. Besides, what if something happens to me? You will be all by yourself, and then you will admit that you looked up to me." Nabooru feigned sincerity. Link's glare could've killed Nabooru right then and there. She loved playing around at Link's expense.

"Nabooru, you are a sage. I doubt you would let them get you anyway. If anything happened to you, the thing I would be doing is saving you, not admitting something that isn't even true."

"Fine. Say anything you want, but you can't hide that admiration you have for me."

Link sighed. "Can we just figure out what we are using as bait?"

Nabooru laughed inwardly. She could never resist teasing and insulting Link. But seriousness was needed right now. An idea formed in her head. _Aria can be the bait. She would do anything I told her to do..and we know to break the jewel if she was brainwashed again._

"I think we should use Aria."

Link frowned. "As what?"

"As bait, fool. She is perfect for that."

"I think you should ask her first. She might not want to do it."

"Aria is under my command. If I tell her to do something, she does it."

"Alright, if your pride keeps you from looking out for others, I will ask her what she thinks."

"No. If you give her a choice, she will be a wimp and stay here. Only force and prestige works with my girls. Besides, I believe she is a newbie to the fortress. A mission will give her backbone."

"Even so, I still think I should. I mean, I would appreciate it if someone asked me if they could use me as bait for their plan instead of just forcing me to do it."

"Ugh, fine. But just because you are telling her doesn't mean I'm not going to make her go ahead with our plan."

Link, for some reason, smiled. Nabooru was annoyed because she didn't find any humor in this argument.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because you are becoming nicer and more understanding to Aria. That's why."

"I am not! Don't say that ever again! She is a nobody! I only need her for this one mission, and then she will stay a nobody!"

Link laughed. "I think you are just trying to avoid that it's true." .

Nabooru wished she could warp him into the forest, far far away. Her glare made him laugh more.

"Ah, sweet, sweet carma." He managed out between chuckles.

"Just go tell her and leave me alone." She growled.

Link stopped laughing and nodded. He took all of his weapons he had been practicing with and laid them neatly in a pile in a corner.

When he walked off, Nabooru sighed. Link was just as stubborn as she was. But, at least they were working together. She decided to go take a rest and work on her strategy for tricking Koume and Kotake. For some reason, she felt lonely. A little resentment came too. Now that she thought about it, this was the only major event that required her since she became a sage. And that was only two years ago. At first, Nabooru had been honored to be chosen as a sage. But now it felt like a joke. All she did before Koume and Kotake broke free was meditate alone in the temple. Either that, or she stayed in fortress, away from everyone like a hermit. Her second-in-command, Jayla, basically became her replacement. Occasionally, Jayla came to the temple to ask for guidance, but nothing else. No-one came to visit her, and she barely visited anyone. She wondered what Darunia, Saria, Ruto, Impa, and Rauru thought about being sages. Darunia probably was training his son, Link. Saria was likely helping out her fellow Kokiri. Ruto was most likely ruling the zoras, Impa was probably watching over Kakariko Village and Zelda. Rauru, well, he was most likely watching over the temple of light and the seal over Ganondorf. But she wanted to talk to someone. Anyone other than Link and Aria. Using telepathy, she contacted Ruto.

"Ruto?"

"Yes, Nabooru?"

"How's it going?"

"Um, fine. Well, actually, not fine. I had my people build a statue of Link. We are having trouble because they made it, but it won't fit in my throne room."

"You still think he's your fiance?"

"I don't _think_ he is. I _know_ he is. I just can't marry because I am a sage."

Nabooru by now had reached her room, and laid down on her bed.

"So you built a statue of him to go in your throne room."

"Of course! I want my people to remember him for many generations to come. What better way than to build a memoir?"

"Did you tell Link you did that?"

"Oh no, it's a surprise!"

"Ruto, you do realize that Link doesn't return your feelings, right?"

"That's not true. Link loves me, and he always will. Sometimes he visits me!"

Nabooru shook her head. Ruto acted more like a teenager in love than a respected ruler and sage. _Maybe she will mature as she grows older..._She thought.

"Well, you could just put the statue somewhere else in your domain."

"That's true...it's just, I want to see my love everyday."

Nabooru sighed. "Whatever you decide, Ruto. I just contacted to see how you were."

"Oh, really? Because I heard that you gerudos were becoming brainwashed by some ghost twin witches. They have been wreaking havoc everywhere, including Zora's Domain. I was wondering if you were going to care of it."

Nabooru was slightly startled. How did she know? Who'd she hear it from?

"Where did you hear this?"

"Oh, news travels. Especially when your people are running around Hyrule, creating chaos."

There was a hint of sarcasm in Ruto's voice that Nabooru didn't like.

"No. I mean WHERE DID YOU HEAR THIS?"

Ruto sighed. "From Zelda. She asked if my zoran army would assist hers in putting them in prison for the time being. She knew that they were under someone else's control, so she was compassionate towards them. We were going to contact you, and ask what was going on. But Zelda decided against it. She figured that you were busy enough."

Nabooru's jaw fell. Basically all of Hyrule knew about this. This went too far.

"Thank you Ruto, for telling me. And as for your question, yes. I am taking care of it."

Nabooru could hear Ruto snort sarcasticly.

In revenge, she said, "Oh, one more thing before I go. Link is with me."

"What? Link is with you? Let me send him a message. I want to-" Ruto started.

Nabooru cut the connection off. So much for feeling lonely. There was so much work needed to be done. This whole situation wasn't just Koume and Kotake now. It was

Koume, Kotake, and all of her brainwashed people. Impatience grew inside her. Her hard-earned reputation was on the line. Not to mention, Jayla was probably brainwashed herself. All of her people's actions were Nabooru's responsibility. Nausea swept over her like a breeze. She was still on her bed. A strategy was still needing to be worked on. It seemed hopeless. _No. _Nabooru thought. _I have a plan. I can beat this. I am Nabooru: Sage of Spirit, Leader of the Gerudos, Lone Thief, and Conqueror. The battle plan...Aria is going to pretend and act as if she were really under Kotake and Koume's control. She will send them a message, alerting them of "refugees" in the Spirit Temple. Then, when the witches come, Link and I will work together to battle them with the mind. If we are sucessful, they will return to their graves and never bother people ever again. But, if we aren't, both Link and I will be brainwashed...and no-one will beat them. That won't happen though. We CAN and we WILL suceed. _Nabooru was tired, and her weary body resisted her longing to stay awake. Too exhausted to fight back, she succumbed to a much-needed sleep.


	6. Recuperating

Link's POV

While Nabooru had been talking to her goddess, Link had become bored and wanted to exercise his skills. The idea of practicing with his weapons came to him when he used his dagger to kill a mouse that had been running arond the floor. He had put his plate away, disposed of the mouse, and went to his room to gather his weapons. Then he went to the front of the temple and started practicing. There were some empty jars there, so he used them. It had been only about twenty minutes when Nabooru came up to him and told him about her 'talk'. Link still didn't know what to think of her talking to a goddess so directly. _It must've been a sage thing._.He thought. The argument that ensued was very humorous to him; well, except for Nabooru teasing him. He would never admit to her that he admired her, even though it was true. He couldn't let that get to her head. Especially since she already nursed her ego like crazy. But revenge was the best part. Nabooru looked so mad, she could've killed him on the spot when he teased her about Aria. It seemed that she was becoming more caring than when he first arrived. At least he hoped. He could never distinguish what was the fine line that made her happy or upset.

Clearly, he wasn't good at finding the happy side. So after they had the little arguement over Aria as bait, he left to go ask Aria what she thought of the idea. During his walk to her room, he thought about how he would explain it to her. He wondered also what her reaction would be. Would it be surprise, fear, or reluctance?

He also wondered if Nabooru's plan was going to work. It was obvious to him that she hadn't figured it all out yet; she had told him so. He had finally reached Aria's room. Through the open doorway, he could see her resting on her bed. He didn't want to go in. He knew he belonged outside, and so he stayed. But how was he supposed to ask her? Maybe if he knocked? Link rapped on one of the sides of the doorway and waited. Aria stirred slightly. He knocked again. Aria moved slowly as she got off of her bed and came to the doorway. Her purple uniform was full of wrinkles, and she looked a little groggy. Her veil wasn't on. She looked like most of the Gerudo he had seen: amber eyes, gold make-up, red hair, purple clothes, and a sullen expression. He decided to start the conversation.

"Good afternoon. I see you got some rest."

Aria looked up tiredly from rubbing her eyes.

"Yes, I guess so. Look, I don't want to be mean, but what do you want?"

"I needed to ask you something for Nabooru."

Aria stood up straight and looked Link in the eye.

"Nabooru? She isn't mad is she?"

Link was taken aback.

"No...well, at least not at you."

"Then what does she want from me?"

"She wants you to be the be the bait for her trap. We figured out a plan."

Aria was silent for a moment, then she spoke.

"What is the plan? I must know my duty. Nabooru knows best."

"Well, see that's the thing. I came here to give you an option. Because if you don't want to,

I will do it. It's dangerous to do this."

"Link, I appreciate your concern. But I am a Gerudo, regardless of how young and inexperienced I am.

Nabooru is my leader, and I will obey. What am I to do?"

Link sighed. Gerudoes were known for their stubborness too.

"Here is what Nabooru thinks will work. She thinks that if you pretend to be brainwashed and lure Koume and Kotake here, she and I will be able to trick them back to where they came from. Afterwards, we will go and help the gerudoes that suffered the same fate as you."

"That seems tricky. But not too dangerous. Don't worry, Link. I will be the bait. Nabooru said so, and I want to do it." Aria said.

Link couldn't understand. Nabooru had said Aria would be a wimp and be too scared to do it. But here she was, looking beat-up and tired and yet she was accepting her mission without hesitance. He wondered why she was just a 'newbie' and a 'nobody' in Nabooru's eyes. In a lot of ways, Aria reminded him of Nabooru.

But he was sure Nabooru wouldn't be happy with him if he said that.

"Okay, if you are sure. You can go back to sleep now. I will go tell Nabooru that you will do it."

Link turned to go, but Aria grabbed his arm.

"Link wait."

He stopped and looked at her. And she let go of his arm.

"I know Nabooru wouldn't have given me a choice like you just did. Thank you for that, but I need to do this to gain a higher status and better approval from my leaders. You do understand, right?"

Link nodded.

"You are lucky, Link. You don't have to work hard to gain respect. You already have it, and probably always will."

"There are benefits, but there are also things that hinder me because of my popularity. Sometimes being in the backround is fine. Now you should get some sleep. We've got a plan to work through later." Link said.

Aria yawned and nodded. She went back inside her room and went on her bed. Link walked down the hall.

He shook his head. Some things were just interesting. He passed by Nabooru's room on his way back to the area he had been practicing in.

She was fast asleep, as far as he could see. He kept walking, but he couldn't help smiling a little. A little voice in his head was telling him to sleep too.

But he refused to sleep when he could be practicing to get ready for the long-awaited fight with the witches. _I need all the practice I can get. That, and I don't need the sleep like they do. They have fought long hours in the morning. I didn't do much but sleep in. _At last he reached the room where all of his weapons were. They were in the pile he had put together. He picked up his bow and quiver full of arrows. The jars were already broken, but he could break them into even smaller pieces. He slung the bow and quiver around onto his back and picked up some of the jar shards. He placed them across the room, and made sure they were evenly spaced. Pulling out the bow and an arrow, his guantlet-covered hands notched the first shot. Making sure his shot was precise, Link let the arrow whiz out of his grasp. It hit the shard with perfection, and the shard became several tiny fragments. Archery was one of Link's favorite hobbies as well as methods of maiming. A sword could kill, but an arrow will only kill if you choose to hit your target in a death shot. Link prefered to use archery when it came to smaller enemies like skullkids and fire keeze. He went over and picked up the arrow he just used. Notching it again, he prepared to strike another jar shard. He was about to, when a voice called out in his head. "Link?" It was soft, like a women's voice.

He knew the owner of such a voice. "Zelda?" Link put the arrow back in his quiver.

"Yes, it's me, Link. Are you busy?"

"No, princess. Just practicing."

Link could hear Zelda sigh.

"Link, what have I told you about calling me 'Princess'? I thought we've been through this. Don't call me by my titles. Just call me Zelda, like I'm an old friend."

Link smirked. It was Zelda alright.

"Sorry, I forgot. How did you find time to talk to me?"

"I did a little rearranging with my schedule. I have only a half-hour of free-time each day."

"Oh. Well, what do you need to tell me?"

"I wanted to know if you were with Nabooru."

Link frowned. What kind of question was that? "Yes, why?" He said.

"It's not that you are in trouble, I just wanted to make sure. Ruto talked to me about an hour ago, saying Nabooru had contacted her and said that you were at the Spirit Temple with her."

Link exhaled slowly. So Nabooru had talked to Ruto and told her that he was here?

"Um, yes I'm here. But I didn't know Nabooru had talked to Ruto. If you are wondering why I am here, it's because I'm helping Nabooru."

He could hear Zelda laughing softly.

"It's okay, I know you're helping her. And I know you don't like Ruto the way she likes you. I can hear your disgust. I just want you to know that after you two beat Koume and Kotake, you have a lot of gerudo guards to take care of."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Nabooru's people are in my prisons. I had my army capture them, and we will hold them them until you two come and cure them."

"I can tell you how to cure them..you just-"

"-Link, I'm sorry but I really don't want to know. I am too busy to take care of that right now. I will wait till you and Nabooru return victoriously over the twin hags."

"Oh,ok but I have a question. Do you have anything you could tell me that would help me defeat Koume and Kotake?"

"I'm sorry, but no. If they were alive, instead of dead, I would. But they are dead. Maybe Impa could help since she is the Sage of Shadow. She might know a few things."

"Alright. You know, even if you don't know the answer, you still do. Does that make sense?"

Zelda laughed in his mind.

"Yes, Link. I am the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, so yes it does. But I can't talk much longer, I have duties to finish. Tell Nabooru that I expect her leadership skills to lead you two to victory."

"Okay. I'll tell her."

"One more thing Link..."

"Yes?"

"...Please be careful. I don't want you to be reckless and hurt yourself in trying to save others."

"I won't."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. I will either talk to you or see you soon. Goodbye Link."

"Goodbye Zelda."

Link could feel the connection dissapear. He sighed. Then he notched another arrow into his bow.

With prescision, he let it go. The shard broke into a million tiny pieces.


	7. The beginning of the battle

**Sorry about taking so long. School started again sadly. Also I want to thank Thoughtful Tikal for your reviews. I hope you like this chapter! If you see things that could be worked on, let me know. Thanks! **

Nabooru's POV

Nabooru woke up to her name being called. It was Link outside of her bedroom. She slowly was brought to her senses, and fell out of bed. She rubbed her brand-new bruise on her forehead. Everything was somewhat dark. How long had she slept? She finally reached her bedroom doorway, and looked up blearily at Link. "Ah, now you are awake." He said.

Nabooru nodded. (But her body was fiercely protesting,"No! I'm not! Put me back to bed!") "What do you want, Link?" She said irritatedly. Link smiled. "I'm sorry, but I had to get you up. We've got work to do. Are you ready?" Nabooru's head was spinning, and she couldn't focus well, but she nodded. Then she regretted doing so, for it made her head hurt worse. Link was watching her carefully. He seemed unconvinced of her answer. "What?" She demanded. Link shook his head. "Nothing. You just don't look too good. Are you sure?" Nabooru was tempted to admit that she was feeling awful, but her pride refused. "I'm fine." She responded harshly. Link smiled. "You don't have to lie. It's okay to admit your not feeling well. I will go get a red potion for you. Wait here." Nabooru simply nodded. Link nodded back, and walked down the hall. Tiredly, she sat down on the floor. It was okay while Link was gone, but when he came back she had to be standing strong. Nabooru gathered her thoughts. What did Link mean when he said that they had work to do? When he had said it, Nabooru hadn't been paying attention due to sleepiness. But now she was wondering. What had he meant? It probably wasn't that pressing of a matter otherwise he wouldn't have waited to tell her.

Her brain hurt and she really wished Link would hurry up with the potion. Carefully, she stood up. About five minutes slipped away by the time Link returned. He was frowning. Gently he gave her the potion, and she drank all of it. It tasted tangy, like it was full of life. Instantly she felt more confident and healthy. She sighed with contentment inwardly. Seeing Link staring hard off in the distance, she asked him a question. "Link, why are you frowning and staring so hard?" He came out of his daze and shook his head. "What? Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking." "What were you thinking about?" Nabooru asked. His actions were intriguing her. Link looked down. "I was thinking about something Zelda told me." Nabooru was stunned. When had Link talked to her? "When did you talk to Zelda?" She asked. "In the morning," He said. "She wanted to confirm what Ruto told her. Apparantly, you talked to Ruto and told her I was here." Nabooru didn't like Link's look.

"Why is that bad? Ruto hasn't talked to you, so what's the big deal? Did Zelda give any helpful information?" She ignored his pointed accusation. Link sighed. "Not really. I mean, I asked her for some but she had nothing helpful other then telling me to go see Impa." Nabooru smirked. She knew Link didn't like Ruto in the least. But she was surprised that Zelda had nothing to say. She wondered what exactly happened in their conversation. Maybe Link was wondering the same thing about her and Ruto. It was quiet now, neither one knowing what to say. The silence bugged Nabooru, and she decided to break it. "So...I guess we just go with my plan, right?"

"I guess so." He said dejectedly.

"Okay, so what was so important that you woke me up in the first place?" She asked.

"Oh ya, I forgot about that." Link said. "Koume and Kotake are out in the desert, Aria saw them. I think they are coming here."

Nabooru was elated. This made everything so much easier! "Good! Did Aria go out and tell them we were here...like she is supposed to?"

Link shook his head. "No, she didn't. I wanted to wait till you were up." Nabooru's heart fluttered when he said this, but she didn't dwell on it.

Right now, they had work to do. "Let's go! Link go get Aria!" She practictly yelled at him.

"Okay, okay, I will." Link said, as he ran down the hallway. Nabooru was right behind. They made several turns, usually almost hitting the walls because they were in such hurry. When Link stopped abruptly in front of Aria's room, Nabooru ran straight into him. They both were knocked down, and she fell on top of him. She was laying on his back. For a moment, neither knew what they should do. Link, because Nabooru was ontop him. Nabooru, because she was on him. Finally, Nabooru made an attempt to get up.

Somehow, she didn't know how, she managed to get off of him. Then they both stood up. Link looked at her, and she looked back. His face was a little red, she noted. To break the awkward silence, she asked," Why did you stop in front of her room?" Inside, she felt just as strange and embarassed as Link. But she was determined not to let that bother her. His response was, "Because I thought she was in there and I don't want to go in." Oh, so that was it. Link had extremely high standards for himself. It gave Nabooru respect for him. But that wasn't important right now. "Okay well, where is she?" She asked. Link shrugged. "We should just go look for her.." Nabooru was impatient. Time was not on their side. "No, we need to go look for her _now_. I think she would be near the entrance or outside. Don't ask me why, let's just go."

Link, instead of arguing, nodded. The two headed off to the entrance. Then they went outside the temple, and heat slapped them in the faces. Link started sweating profusely. Nabooru was used to the sudden heat. Sand was flying everywhere. Clearly a sand storm. "Link!' She yelled over the noise of the storm. "Where is she? Where are the witches?" Nabooru put her arm over her face to block the sand. She saw Link copy her move. "I see her!" Link yelled after a few minutes. "Where?" Nabooru yelled back.

"There!" Link pointed to Aria with his free arm. Nabooru looked to where his finger was pointed. She could barely make out a small figure. Behind the figure was two darker and larger figures. Nabooru involuntary gasped. It really was Koume and Kotake! So Aria did do her part in the plan...Nabooru only hoped the witches would overlook the fact that Aria was no longer under their spell. She turned to Link. "Link! Come on! We need to go back in! Leave this to Aria!" To make him understand, she grabbed his arm and tugged him inside. It was difficult, but she managed. Inside, Nabooru and Link brushed the sand out of their clothes and hair. Link was the first to speak. "I guess the only way to beat them is to trick them into thinking anything you want." Nabooru said nothing in return. He pretty much summed things up right now. "So what tactics are we using?" He asked. Nabooru finished brushing out the sand and stood up to face Link, who had already finished. She thought for a moment. Nothing came up. Then it hit her when she thought back to previous memories. "We take sides on who is the better sister."

Link looked at her funny when she said this. His expression read, "What?"

"I mean, you and I argue about who we think is the better sister of the two witches. They will argue with each other, and then we trick them into returning back to the dead." Nabooru explained.

Link said, "Ohh..."

"So what do you think they will go back to? " He asked.

Personally, Nabooru wasn't too sure herself where they would go. But she thought of an answer. "Most likely to where you sent them several years ago, when you beat them then."

"Your most likely right." Link sighed. "So now what do we do? Wait for Aria to tell us they are coming?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure we are doing this right?"

"Link, I don't want to doubt myself right now."

"Oh, sorry."

Time slowly went by. Just when Nabooru was about to go check on Aria to see if she was okay, Aria burst through the entrance.

She looked like a redead: hunched over, hungry expression, and deadly. Aria slashed the air with her swords.

Aria must've failed! She must be brainwashed!

"Um, Nabooru? I don't think Aria succeded with her part of the plan." He yelled at Nabooru. (Aria had by now gone over to him and started battling him.)

"I know, Link! I can see that!" She yelled back.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Link screamed in return, for Aria seemed to be quicker and more deadly this time than the last. Nabooru thought that Aria would be a success, and never thought she would fail. Now she didn't know what to do. Aria was much faster, and she never kept still. Link obviously was having a hard time with her. There was that gem thing again, but Aria moved so quickly that Link didn't have a chance to swipe at it. Nabooru couldn't imagine anything getting worse than this. But she yet again was wrong, for Koume and Kotake themselves burst through the entrance. Aria and Link temporarily quit fighting, and Nabooru could see Link was aghast. There was a very tense silence. She knew she had to do something, so she yelled,"Koume! Kotake! Witches from the dead! Why are you here?"

All sets of eyes turned towards her. The witches laughed at her, but Koume was the one to speak. "Ah, Nabooru," Her voice was raspy and old."It's been a while. I can see you have your hands full doing nothing all day long. It must be fun, watching yourself being replaced while you rot in a temple, not being needed for anything." Nabooru wanted to yell, "Yes! Yes! That's exactly how I feel!" But she looked at Link, and saw his expression. He was pleading silently for her to disagree with Koume.

However, no matter what he did, she couldn't deny that Koume had said the truth. All along she had felt this way..even Koume had noticed. Suddenly, she didn't want to fight Koume anymore. Was she being brainwashed? Was the 'spell' Aria had talked about...was it just Koume and Kotake playing with your doubts and fears and using them to their advantage? Nabooru felt like time was slowing down as Koume spoke, like she was completely losing her control. She could hear Link yelling to her as he battled with Aria. He was saying something about how amazing a leader she was, how strong she had been, and never giving up. If only that had been true. Finally, Link managed to break Aria's jewel. She crumpled to the floor. Then he ran over to her, shaking her. Nabooru was hazy, but she knew she didn't like that. Out of nowhere, she slapped him across the cheek. He let go, and held his red cheek. Nabooru's disgust for Link continued to grow, like every thing she hadn't liked about him was coming to mind. She could feel Koume's persuasion running through her veins, and Nabooru knew she was losing. Soon, she couldn't see very well and everything went black.

**Ooooooh, it's a cliffhanger! Don't worry, I will write another chappie soon! ;D**


	8. It was all a trick

Link's POV

Link couldn't believe this. He'd been expecting it, but still couldn't believe it. Here he was, stuck with Nabooru and Aria unconscious while Koume and Kotake were ready to either kill or brainwash him. Not only that, but Kotake was saying things that were Link's weak spots. Things that made him wish he never existed. Was this what it was like to be hypnotized? Did Nabooru experience the same feelings? What about Aria? Aria had always wanted approval and respect from Nabooru and others. Maybe that was her weak spot. What was Nabooru's weak spot? Uh, it didn't matter. All that mattered right now was getting Aria and Nabooru back. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some red potions. Quickly and carefully, he poured it into Nabooru's mouth. And then he did the same for Aria. All the while, battling against Kotake's words. If it weren't for his determination and self control, he would have already given in to the hypnosis. He could tell the witches had a harder time finding a weak spot from him. He was extremely surprised to find that Nabooru went down so quickly. It wasn't like her at all. He could feel himself getting sleepy..the spell was having it's effect. No, this can't happen. Violently, he shook Nabooru's arms. Slowly, she came to. Link guessed that the wiches hadn't had time to actually complete Nabooru's hypnosis, for she had no jewel on her head.

He helped her sit up. "Nabooru? Are you okay?" He asked. She looked up at him, and nodded. "Yes, Link, now I am. Are they still here?" "Yes." He said. Nabooru quickly stood up. A frown was her face. "Link! You didn't do anything?" He jumped. Of course he hadn't done anything! Sometimes he wondered what exactly what her problem was. "No! Because I was busy helping you!" He yelled. "Fine! But we need to follow through the plan!" She argued. Suddenly, Link had this twinge of anger. Why should he listen to her if she wasn't going to listen to him? Why would her plan work if Aria had already failed, and she herself was tricked by the hags? He was gonna do this his way. "No! I'm tired of you bossing me around like I'm some child or servant. I am stronger than you, and I have my own thoughts and opinions! Who made you leader?" Nabooru was mad at his response, he could see it in her every move. "Link! We've been through this! Why are you being so difficult?" She retaliated.

"I am not being difficult! I feel the same way I'm sure Koume does: constantly being the underdog!" To his response, he looked up at the ice witch. She was nodding. In fact, both Koume and Kotake were silent. They were watching the argument. Perhaps Link could use that to his advantage...

Nabooru was fuming now. Just like he needed her to be. He just wasn't sure what she was gonna do. "For your information, everyone made me leader! The goddesses chose me to be a sage! And I have better leadership skills than you! Just like Kotake!" She yelled. Kotake was bobbing her head up and down furiously. Good. Link could already see his plan working. Koume and Kotake were taking sides. They no longer were floating in the air right next to each other, but moving apart. Koume was leaning towards him and Kotake was heading towards Nabooru. He just needed to keep this up. "Okay, if your so intelligent, tell me who is the stronger and better witch: Koume or Kotake!" He said. Nabooru's mouth was open. She was so mad it was clear she didn't know what to say. Instead of answering, she unsheathed her sword. It was Link's turn to not know what to say. This was getting a little out of hand. "I say it's Kotake. She is better, just like me." Nabooru said. Koume then yelled. It sounded horrible, like a banshi. "I will kill you Nabooru! Traitor, fiend, and worthless!" Then Koume dove for Nabooru. She couldn't reach her though, because Kotake stopped her. "What are you doing, you stupid oaf!" Koume screeched at Kotake. "I'm not letting you hurt her! She is right, after all!" Kotake yelled back. Their screaming hurt Link's ears. It sounded much like a redead's scream. "What! No, Link is right! I've always been the underdog. But it's only because I let you be leader! I'm the better witch!" Koume responded. It went on like this for a few minutes. Link looked at Nabooru. She was glaring at him. He wanted to talk to her without the witches hearing him or Nabooru. Koume and Kotake were currently still arguing. So he tried mimicing telepathy. He pointed to his head and used his hand to mime talking. Nabooru frowned at him. Confusion was all over her face. So Link tried another tactic. He mouthed the word telepathy to her. She read his lips and understood, her face lighting up. Soon he heard her in his mind.

"Link?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm glad you understood." He said.

"I'm not stupid Link. And as of now, I am not your friend." She said harshly.

"Look, I will explain later about all of that. I'm trying to follow through with our plan."

"Our plan? More like my plan." Nabooru muttered.

"Whatever. Look, they are fighting right now. We just gotta encourage it along."

"Uh, fine. But you do have some explaining to do."

"I know. " Link said in return. He'd been expecting hostility.

Turning towards the witches, Nabooru called out," Kotake! You have more power than Koume! Unleash all those feelings you've kept inside! Hatred, annoyance, spite, and anything else! Let out on her!" Kotake obviously like the idea. Apparantly there had been a lot she had held in, for she let out a blast of fire at her sister from her wand. It hit Koume smack in the chest, sending her flying backwards. Koume slammed into the wall, causing a loud crack. "Ouch! That would've killed me if I wasn't already dead!" She screeched. Link decided to encourage Koume's hatred. "Koume! Don't let her tell you what to do again! You are your own boss! That's the way it should've been all along!" Koume's wrinkly face contorted into an evil smile when she heard Link. She blasted Kotake with ice from her wand.

Surprisingly, Kotake recovered quickly from the attack. And she returned it swiftly. It went like that a lot: Link and Nabooru encouraging Koume and Kotake to hate each other. Link wasn't sure how long it had been already since it first started. It seemed like it was going on forever and never showed signs of stopping. Already, he was becoming very tired. Nabooru told him she was tired too, via telepathy. Before long, Nabooru and Link didn't need to help the hags. He discreetly went over to Aria's side to see if she was okay. She was fine, just not conscious.

"Link!" Nabooru said in Link's mind.

"Ya, what?"

"We need to finish this! They will eventually get over their anger..and then we will be in trouble!"

"I know.."

"Come over here and let's finish this!" She said.

Link nodded, and on the opposite side of the room, Nabooru saw.

"Kotake!" She yelled. The two witches stopped looked at her. "Why don't you prove to Koume how much better you are by magic? It would be easier." "You are right, girl. I will send her into a second dimension." Kotake approved. Okay, now it was Link's turn. "No! Koume _you_ must prove your better by sending Kotake into the seal Ganondorf is in! That would be something Kotake could never top, and you would be the only powerful witch in all of Hyrule!" "Link, you for once are right. If I send her there, she would never return, for the seal is more powerful than any magic we could conjure." Koume said, as she got her wand ready. "Dear sister!" Kotake yelled, "I too can send you there! May the best witch live forever!" (Link had to laugh at her statement, because they both were dead.)

The two raised their wands, saying a spell as they went. Link looked at Nabooru. She was watching them intently. He looked back at them. They apparantly finished the spell at the same time, because both of their wands were glowing. Pointing their sticks at each other, the hags looked with malice to their opposite. Then they yelled their little battle cry that sounded like a banshi. The spell hit each other. Simultaniously, Koume and Kotake rose in the air and started glowing. Then they vanished. It took Link a minute to realize they were now gone forever. They had both sentenced themselves into eternity with Ganondorf in the seal. He turned to Nabooru. She was smiling.

"We did it." Was all she said. Link couldn't agree more.


	9. Preparing for the fortress

**Hey guys, hope you like this chappie. All I request is a review. XD**

Nabooru's POV

It was finally over. After so much worrying and planning, she and Link had finally beaten Koume and Kotake. She couldn't do anything but smile. But then she remembered what Link had said to her before. "Link." She said. "Yes?" He said in response. "Explain to me what you were arguing about before." Nabooru said. She looked at Link's face. He was frowning. "I have to confess that our argument wasn't a lie. I have felt that way. But you were right. We have already delt with that issue. I was simply trying to go with your plan and add my own little twist. Are you still mad?" He looked directly at her. She could see apology in his face and his eyes. He had only gotten her upset to make sure the plan went along the way it needed to. It made her a little annoyed that he did that, but in the end they had won. So she couldn't stay mad at him for long. "No, Link, I'm not mad anymore. I can see why you did it. I probably wouldn't have succeeded like you did." She confessed. At her words, Link smiled his boyish smile. She couldn't help his positive attitude..she smiled too. "Do you think we should wake Aria up?" Link asked. To be honest, Nabooru had forgotten all about Aria. "Yes, she has missed too much fun already." Nabooru responded. Link went up and gently nudged Aria's shoulder. Aria mumbled something unrecognizable, so Link looked at Nabooru. She didn't know what to say so she simply shrugged. This time Link nudged harder. Aria stirred slightly. For third time, Link nudged her shoulder. Aria finally woke up. She blearily looked up at Link and Nabooru. Link smiled and said, "Good morning. I wish you hadn't missed all the fun we had. We had a party, and it was magical." Nabooru couldn't help but laugh when he said magical. After all, the 'party' they had with Koume and Kotake was all about magic. But Aria wouldn't get the joke since she was out cold during the battle.

Aria got up from the floor with Link's help. "So you beat the hags?" She asked them. "Yes, but you did help us in the beginning, so we couldn't have done it alone." Link said. Nabooru didn't disagree. For the first time, Nabooru noticed how beat up the temple was from the fight. There were holes in the walls, smoldering ashes on the floor, and dust from the mess all over the floor. During the fight, Nabooru and Link had been crouched down and out of the way of Koume and Kotake's blows. The place was a mess. Link caught Nabooru's gaze and looked around too. She saw him frown. "Nabooru, how and when are we cleaning up this mess?" He asked. "We can do it later, Link. Right now, I think we have some of my people to attend to." She said confidently. "Okay so how do you want to get to Hyrule Field? Via a warp song or by horse?" He queried.

"Horse. I want time to think and get myself in command before I see my people again."

"Alright, if you say so." Link said.

"I do say so. Aria go get the two horses in the stables. There are only two, and bring them here."

"Yes, Captain Nabooru." Aria hurried off to get Phantom and Epona.

"Are you relieved that it's over?" He asked.

"Yes."

"And are you relieved that Aria will be out of your hair and I will be gone?"

"Perhaps."

"What made you fall for Koume's spell?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, what was your weakness that made you falter?" Link got more serious with his question.

"I don't have to tell you. Even if I had a weakness, I wouldn't tell someone. Especially not you."

"Oh, come on Nabooru. I am not trying to hurt you in any way. Can't you tell me?"

"No. I-I don't want to. Stop pestering me."

"Fine. But I will tell you what almost made me fall: being lonely."

"Why are you telling me that? And why are you lonely?"

"I'm telling you because I want to prove to you I am not your enemy. And I'm lonely because I can't find that special girl.""You must be joking, Link. You have your choice over any girl in Hyrule and you are lonely?"Nabooru couldn't believe this was a weak spot for Link. It was the last thing she would've picked."It's not so weird, Nabooru, as you might think..no girl I have found is just right for me. That was my weakness: they were saying I would never find her." "Oh. But I still don't know why you're telling me this. And I'm still not telling you what made me fall."

"Naboo-"

"Just stop, Link."

Nabooru didn't want to talk anymore. And Aria had brought Epona and Phantom in anyway. She walked over to Phantom, and he neighed in response. Nabooru could almost hear his disgust. He sounded like he was rebuking her for treating Link that way.

She did feel a little guilty for just leaving him hanging like that. It wasn't that she was making fun of his weakness, it was just that she had a hard time connecting with people on personal levels. Stroking Phantom's neck, she breathed in his scent. She could feel his muscles ripple as her fingers went over his skin. Link came over with Epona. Nabooru looked at the way Epona interacted with him. They seemed so similar in personality. Maybe it was that way with Phantom and herself. She hadn't really thought of that before. "So..how long have you had Epona?" She asked. Link stopped playing with Epona for a moment. "A few years. I won her by a bet."

While he had talked, Epona had taken his hat with her teeth and walked off with it, hoping Link would follow. He went back to get it from her. Nabooru turned to Aria, who had been standing right where she had walked in with the horses. "Do you have a horse?" Nabooru asked her. "No, I do not." Was Aria's quick reply. "Did you have one?" Nabooru pressed further. Aria shook her head. "No, because I was never important enough, like Jayla, to have a horse." Nabooru was delighted. Here was an opportunity to reward Aria without making it too emotional. "Well, for right now you will ride behind me on Phantom to the fortress. There, we will get you your own horse in return for helping Link and myself to succeed in defeating the witches. After that, we will be riding to Hyrule Castle to free any spell-bound Gerudos." She said. She expected Aria to be excited and out of control. But Aria was calm and composed. "Thankyou Captain Nabooru. I am honored to achieve such a reward, though I do not deserve it."

Nabooru didn't understand. "Why do you think you don't deserve it?"

"Because I fell under Koume's spell again."

"But you did what you were supposed to."

"I did only part of it."

"As your commander, I command you to feel acomplished. You did well, for your age."

"Thankyou."

"And your next assignment when this is all done, is to spend some time training with me here at the temple."

At this, Aria's eyes went big. She lost all composure.

"Really? I can train with you? I've always wanted to!"

"Yes. But after we are done with this first. Get some water and some bread. We are going to the fortress and we need our energy."

"Yes, Captain Nabooru."

Aria fairly ran to the kitchen.

Nabooru tightened the stirrups straps on Phantom's belly. She made sure everything was set to go on him. Then she walked over to Link. He was brushing Epona's back.

"We are going to the fortress first." She said quietly.

Link said nothing.

"I know you're mad at me for not caring about what your weakness was and how I didn't appreciate you. It's not that I don't care, it's just..."

Link looked at her. "It's just what?"

"I have difficulty discussing deep topics."

"Oh. But I wouldn't make fun of you or anything. You don't have to tell me though."

"No, Link. I want to tell you. My weakness was my fear of not being respected and needed anymore. Is that good enough for you?"

"Ya, but why do you feel that way? You said so yourself when we argued that the goddesses themselves chose you as a sage."

"I was merely avoiding my true feelings." Nabooru hung her head. She felt like she had exposed herself to him and had to wait for his response.

She felt his hand lifting her chin. What was he doing?

"Look," He said, letting go of her chin. "Don't feel like your not needed. Look what you did: you beat Koume and Kotake! People all over are going to appreciate it. And even if a lot of people don't, I know of a few who do."

"Thankyou, Link." Nabooru's voice was very soft.

Link nodded. "Anytime." His voice was equally soft.

It was nice that he did that, but they needed to get ready to head to the fortess.

"We are going to go to the fortress first, Link."

"Why?"

"Because I need to do a few things before we go to Hyrule."

"Like what?'

"Like checking to see if there are any Gerudos that are under the witches' spell."

"Oh. How long is it to the fortress exactly?"

"A day or two's ride. I am having Aria pack some food."

"How is she coming along?"

"She is riding behind me."

"Oh, okay."

Nabooru could tell he was surprised, but she could see him turn and try to hide his smile.

"Don't get used to me treating her this way." She said.

Link turned around. He was still smiling.

"Okay, whatever you say Nabooru."

Nabooru huffed, and walked back over to Phantom. She and Link got everything ready for the travel to the Gerudo Fortress.

Aria returned with the food and the glass bottles full of water. They packed them in along with extra clothes, healing potions, and other important things.

When they finished, it was after noon. Nabooru led the horses outside the temple, and Link and Aria followed. The sand storm was over, and all there was left was a light breeze. Swiftly, Link swung onto Epona's back. She winnied happily. Nabooru got on Phantom, and helped Aria up behind her. Then the three set off towards the Gerudo Fortress.


End file.
